What Lurks In Darkness…

Mighty Beings applied fantastic skills to create ‘pocket universes’ where unusual laws of physics applied – now we had dragons that could fly, breathing fire and granting wisdom to those few who dared approach them… Ethereal Beings were birthed that could cross dimensions, shape the very Light of Creation, and change Nature with their Will… Oh, what magnificent revelries… the Lords of Light dancing with the Queens of Darkness, together in joyful merriment – after all, it was all part of the Great Cycle of growth and expansion, of the union – nay, the mingling – of Night and Day.

What a glorious time it was, to be able to play with creation… to explore… to engage in bountiful imagination… and even to dare give these very creations the power of Free Will … to give them full reign to create on their own… simply to see what the outcome would be… At first it was joyous – well, much like a doting parent would appreciate a child’s drawing, the new creations were somewhat simplistic – let’s be gracious and say they were playfully innocent, and so considered ‘amusing’ in their own way… And, as any good parent would do, they showered praise and encouragement so their creatures would do more, broaden their abilities, explore more of the unlimited potential that is, after all, the Universe…

This they did – courageously if not always successfully…  [well,  there was that incident with colliding worlds and suns going nova…but we don’t talk about it…] We are doting Beings… and these merely our ‘children’, so excuses must be made…

They spurred them to be more adventurous, more daring, even going as far as rewarding the ones that showed the greatest potential by showering them with gifts, with new abilities, with more power… just to see if any of them would truly excel, would truly manage to grow beyond their simple lives, would bring some little bit of excitement to their – oh, ever so jaded – eternal lives… [“It’s just so tough to be a god … people simply don’t know how boring eternity can be …”]

And so, just to make it exiting, they took bets – “My children can beat any of your children…” and the winner would get …??…Nothing… They could not agree on a prize, for, as gods they already had everything… So, what could they offer…?  “I know !” said the youngest one “Let’s free our children to do what they will…with absolutely no restrictions whatsoever… and see how far they’ll go… After all, we made them out of ourselves, so they could surprise us ! And whoever the winner is, will have access to Divine Powers… ”

Well that surprised a few – “Really !  Give them Divine Powers…? What, are you daft …!?” But, you know, boredom being what it is, they soon agreed – “Absolutely no interference… and let the dice fall where it may !” At first it was absolutely fantastic, with whole worlds created out of pure Light, and Beings of glorious radiant color… But it could not last, for they also discovered ‘destruction’… and now it was more fun to wait quietly, hidden in the shadows…and just as a new sparkling creation was finished, they would swoop in, and with great glee, blow it all up, tearing up the very fabric of the universe, allowing their destructive ecstasy to enthrall them…. again and again and again… There was no stopping them… Drunk with Power, they wallowed in their berserk fury…and all fell before their frenzied hunger…

Now even the younger gods grew weary, and decided that this was a poor experiment indeed “No fun, no fun at all”…and thus it was decided to terminate such revolting children… Together they turned their might upon them, trying again and again to end such a foolish race… Alas, it was too late, for destruction feeds upon destruction, gorging its creatures with more and more Power… All it accomplished was to make these violent creatures aware of their attempted interference… Ah, and now the dice comes to rest… These vile creatures turned their attentions to the gods: “We are the self-created, and none shall dare against us…Beware our fury, for we are born of Darkness…and all shall be as nothing before us.”  And so the very gods knew fear for the first time… and out of the still night came a whisper “Behold your own creations…Be afraid…Be very afraid…”